Pedestal
by MeridaFaeScott
Summary: Caitlyn sees herself as just plain and ordinary, but she'd never say so. Now it's time for her to help Shane feel better... Maybe she isn't just plain afterall? Shane/Caitlyn oneshot


**Warning: Contains Mitchie bashing. Mwhahaha!**

**Yo! So here is another Camp Rock oneshot- no I haven't stopped writing for Camp Rock, just because I wrote a few Jonas stories! I can't have only one show/movie to write about! Lol. **

**This is to put Caitlyn on the pedestal-for once! Far too many Mitchie loving fics out there…I actually somewhat like this one…I tried to make it a little more well written then previous oneshots-hopefully I succeeded. I'll let you be the judge. So review, please!**

**p.s. For those of you who are Mitchie lovers, I still like reading your reviews! The ones I've gotten in the past are very much appreciated-despite our difference in opinion!**

Water rippled away in circular patterns from where Caitlyn had run her fingers over the surface of the lake. It was just the end of the first week and Camp Rock, but she had been too busy to relax and enjoy time to herself until that moment.

The moon shined brightly and she watched it with a small smile. It was so good to be back- hopefully this year would go more nicely than the dramatic year before. Caitlyn was sure that this, her third year, would be the best so far.

Already cabin mates at Camp Rock were becoming the best of friends. The girls gossiped hours on end at night-sometimes annoying Caitlyn but she remained silent- while the boys all fought playfully in any spare moment, making fun of each other rudely as always.

Everything was definitely going well so far, and Caitlyn was hoping it would stay that way. The only thing that was unexpected-and the topic of many late nights' gossiping she overheard- was Shane Gray dating Mitchie Torres. She wondered if there was something that made Shane feel obligated…

As if her question had summoned, Shane suddenly seated himself heavily next to her. At first, she was too surprised to say anything so only watched him as he starred out at the lake. He was slumped over, as if something weighed heavily on his mind, but Caitlyn kept her silence, tracing patterns in the sand.

"Is something wrong?" she finally asked, keeping her tone indifferent as she looked up from her drawing in the sand. They were both seated quite closely to the water, but since the lake did not lap the shore as the ocean's beach, neither of them got wet.

Shane only nodded, not taking his eyes off of the large mass of water before him, wide eyes starring at the lake, yet starring at nothing too. She was guessing he was thinking too hard to really be seeing the beautiful scene before him.

"You want to talk about it?" Caitlyn offered, feeling awkward at the suggestion. She had never been very good at comforting anyone, and for some reason she thought it'd be even more uncomfortable to comfort Shane. What if she couldn't find any good words?

He shrugged, apparently not in the mood for conversation of any sort. Eventually his silence was driving Caitlyn crazy. She wasn't usually one to sit in pensive silence in the presence of others.

"Well, I hope it works out…whatever it is that's bothering you." She sighed, hoping her chosen words didn't sound _too_ foolish. She did mean them after all, even if they did sound dumb.

"It won't." he spoke shortly, his voice seeming to cut into the tense air around the two unexpectedly. Shane's tone was so harsh and rough compared to Caitlyn's previous soft and uncertain voice. Startled at the pessimist reply, Caitlyn didn't respond at first.

"How do you know?" she asked timidly, not liking being the one using the gentle tone. It was just so unnerving to see Shane this way and not knowing what to do to help. He still didn't take his eyes from starring at nothing, still slouched over in defeat.

"Because it can't." he spoke again, this time his tone sounding so broken and thick with emotion that Caitlyn felt a wave of sympathy. Whatever it was, she had never seen Shane this low before, and didn't like it.

"…I'm sorry…" Caitlyn whispered, not knowing what else she could say to help, so only rested her hand on his shoulder gently, and looking up at his face in the process. Maybe he was being overdramatic and would be back to normal in the morning?

"Have I changed at all, Caitlyn?" Shane asked suddenly, finally turning his head and meeting her eyes. Biting back a gasp at his distressed expression, Caitlyn fumbled for words so he wouldn't think she was trying to keep the answer from him.

"Absolutely." She rushed to say, "You're a completely different person than you were at the beginning of last year."

"Then why would she do that?" Shane whispered, looking completely dejected and Caitlyn couldn't help but feel even more pity for him. Her hand still rested on his shoulder and she jerked it away when she noticed.

"Who?" she asked, and tilted her head to the side, not commenting on his glancing at her quickly withdrawn hand in disappointment. Shane hesitated, and Caitlyn grew even more curious as he bit his lip before sighing. She almost missed his whispered words.

"Mitchie cheated on me."

Caitlyn listened to the silence, unable to believe that it could be so loud. She waited for him to speak, having trouble believing that Shane had really just said what she thought she had heard.

"…What?" Caitlyn gasped, thoughtlessly resting her hand on top of his where it rested on his leg. He only blinked at her before letting his face fall, eyebrows knit together in thought.

"I saw her…kissing some blonde guy."

"Are you sure?" Caitlyn demanded, hating to believe that anyone-even Mitchie- would do something so horrible. There had to be some other explanation. Didn't there?...

"Yes." Shane snapped, lifting his head to glare at her before his expression fell back to deep hurt and he went on in a whisper, "It was all her, too… Not that he rejected her."

"Oh, Shane…" Caitlyn breathed, not knowing what to say. There weren't really any words that could help him, were there? She couldn't undo what Mitchie had stupidly done, "I'm…so sorry."

In the moonlight she could see him sigh heavily, chewing on his lips in anxiety. She wished she could tell him it would be okay-that Mitchie wasn't worth it (she'd never really like that girl much, anyways), or that he'd find someone better someday. But did he care to listen to her?

Shane turned to look at her again and Caitlyn refused to believe those were tears glistening in his beautiful eyes. No. He couldn't be hurting that badly, could he? The silence was growing deafening, but Caitlyn still came up empty handed-no matter how hard she tried to come up with helpful words.

"Why wasn't I good enough?" Shane breathed, making a lump form in Caitlyn's own throat at his tone. There were no words to describe how he sounded. It wasn't just the fact that he had lost Mitchie, she realized, it was the fact that he hadn't been enough for her-that she didn't even think him worth the trouble of breaking up with.

"No, Shane, it was _her_ that wasn't good enough." Caitlyn couldn't help but whisper urgently, moving closer next to him before reaching up to caress his warm cheek. The poor boy needed help-comfort of some kind, and Caitlyn doubted that even his brothers could do much more than she.

The silence went on again, but Caitlyn inwardly jumped at his sudden move. It took a moment for her to register the position she was in. Shane had turned to face her fully before wrapping her in a tight hug and burying his face in her neck.

"You're too good for her…" Caitlyn whispered in his ear, returning the hug and awkwardly patting his back. She tried to tell herself to relax, but it didn't work out quite well enough.

"Thanks, Cait." Shane spoke and sighed, making her skin tingle. The feeling of his lips moving against her skin as he spoke was one like no other, and Caitlyn was sure she would never forget it.

"M-maybe you should get off." Caitlyn commented, not liking the strained sound of her voice. Hands moving to his shoulders to push him away, she froze. If she pushed him away, would he be hurt? He had put himself in this position- did it help?

Sighing in defeat, Caitlyn slowly moved her hands to touch his hair, fingers petting his head gently and timidly. And strangely enough, she was able to relax slowly, eventually running her hands through his hair and breathing deeply.

"Did you mean that?..." Shane whispered hot breath giving her goose bumps on her neck, "That I'm too good for Mitchie?"

Caitlyn swallowed slowly, hands frozen in his locks, unsure of what to say. Of course she had meant it, but why was he asking? Maybe he thought it was too forward a comment for her to say?

"Yeah…" she sighed in defeat, glad it was a short answer so he wouldn't hear her voice shaking. Slowly, making Caitlyn's nervousness grow, Shane lifted his head to look at her carefully. She couldn't read his soft expression though.

"Am I…Am I good enough for someone else?" he asked softly, his uncertain tone showing her again how much he had changed since first meeting him. Shane himself looked quite crestfallen still, and Caitlyn felt a twinge of jealousy that Mitchie had been able to break him.

"Oh, I'm sure _someone_ out there..." She assured him softly, unable to meet his eyes at the statement even though it was meant to be innocent. When had these feeling for him started? She wasn't even sure.

"For you?" Shane whispered; hope glistening in his brown eyes, making Caitlyn feel shocked at his suggestion. Why her? She was ordinary and plain-and would seem especially so after him having dated Mitchie, she was sure. She wasn't anything beautiful are popular. Just Caitlyn.

As if reading her thoughts and knowing she could come up with no response, Shane gently and slowly pushed her to lie in the sand, propping himself over her. Caitlyn obeyed easily, not knowing what else she could do. She was feeling very small and she was pretty sure he was invading her personal space.

"Cait, I'm not good enough for you, but…" Shane's eyes seemed to pierce her face at his intense gaze. He loved the way her hair looked against the sand. How she looked up at him almost fearfully. Her palms were flat against the sand, easily giving her anxiety away.

Caitlyn watched as Shane hovered over her, saying he wasn't good enough for her. Wow, that was unexpected, but she couldn't get herself to say so. Since when was a gorgeous, caring, sweet, thoughtful guy not good enough for just plain Caitlyn?

Finally giving into her longing, Caitlyn swiftly lifted her arms to wrap around Shane, accidentally making him nearly lose his self support and fall on top of her. There faces were much closer now and her imagination was running wild with the thrill of being so close to him.

Waiting nervously to see what would happen next, Caitlyn could feel the muscles in his back tense from propping himself over her. Before she could enjoy the feeling for more than a second, Shane's lips had found hers and pressed softly.

Caitlyn couldn't resist kissing him back, the moment too perfect to pass up. One hand wandered up to tangle in his perfect hair as she closed her eyes slowly. She felt him brush his fingertips against her cheek for a moment, before he pressed his lips harder against hers.

They broke apart very slowly and reluctantly, neither of them wanting the perfect moment to end just yet. The water was as still as the night around them, except for a small breeze whispering through the trees.

Shane looked at her carefully, hoping not to see disappointment in her face. Instead, he saw a mixture of shock, embarrassment and joy and he was satisfied. There was sand in her hair now and her cheeks were flushing darkly, but he thought it made her even more beautiful.

Caitlyn read the expression on Shane's face, relieved to see the satisfaction and happiness-along with a hint of embarrassment. He was plainly blushing, and Caitlyn couldn't help but like the flush, knowing at that moment that Shane had never kissed Mitchie like they had just kissed.

"Why me?" she breathed, a nagging disbelief causing her to speak in inward panic.

"Because you're amazing." Shane whispered, his face mere inches away, "Because you're smart and mature. Talented and honest and would never cheat. Because you think I'm good enough."

"I'm not-" Caitlyn began to disagree, knowing she wasn't any of those wonderful things he claimed she was.

"Because you're beautiful." Shane interrupted her, kissing her lips lovingly and lingering there a moment before speaking against her lips, "Because you're not Mitchie. Because you're Caitlyn."

**Okay, so it is a bit corny and all…but really. Who doesn't like a corny one-shot every now and again? **

**And concerning those who have reviewed my other stories and don't like when Shane ditches Mitchie- there's more to the oneshot than I could write and explain concerning his feelings toward Mitchie vrs. his feelings for Caitlyn…If you want a long explanation of all that, you can review and ask. ^_^**


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